The horsepower and electric range wars continue to rage in the global electric vehicle (EV) market, with each new entrant and existing player posting absurd numbers. Nonetheless, Mercedes Benz has decided to join the party with its latest EQXX concept.
According to an official statement, the EQXX incorporates a radical design and technology that allow it to achieve an electric-only range of 997 km (620 miles) on a single charge. The details highlight that the car also employs the use of sustainable materials such as mushroom fibers, ground-up cactus plants, and scrap items to make it clean and green.
Mercedes reported that it achieved the electric range figure via computer-simulated testing, and intends to demonstrate the car’s range in a road test this spring.
The company stated that the amazing range is a result of the vehicle being 30 percent lighter and its teardrop shape that ensures a low drag coefficient of 0.17. In comparison, the Lucid Air Dream Edition, which currently has a class-leading electric range of 836 km (520 miles), has a drag coefficient of 0.20.
The EQXX will be powered by a 107.8 kWh battery pack which is mated to a single electric motor that produces around 201 hp, which, despite being a low power figure by modern EV standards, is aimed at delivering maximum efficiency with minimum stress on the battery.
Although details about the launch date, features, and price of the EQXX are scarce, Mercedes’s new offering will soon go head-to-head with the new Lucid Air and the existing Tesla Model S in the battle of the longest-range EVs.
